Milk-can closure.



`PAIEN'IED AUG. 22, 1905.

.L H. WINE.

MILK CAN GLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1905` INI/EN 70A UNITE If JOHN I-l. W INE, OF ELKWOOD, VIRGINIA.

WllLlK-CAN CLOSUFIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application led April 6, 1905. Serial No. 254,124..

To @ZZ 107mm, 'llt 'nt/t7! concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN H. WINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkwood. in the county of Culpeper and State oi' Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Milk-Can Closures, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in milk-can closures of that style or kind wherein the cover of the can is held locked to the neck of the can; and the object is to provide a cheap, strong', and secure lock applied to the neck of the can and adapted to engage the depending iiange of the cover to hold the parts interlocked against unauthorized separation.

My invention embodies the novel construction of parts and their aggroupment in operative combination, as will be Jfully disclosed hereinafter and then the asserted novelty particularly pointed out and distinctly stated in the claims.

I have fully and clearly illustrated the improvements in the annexed drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein- Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the depending iiange of the cover and the neck- 'liange of the can and longitudinal section through the lock-casing, showing the bolt and holding spring in plan view. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the neck of the can, the depending ilange of the cover, and the lock, taken on the line 2 2 oi' Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the upper part of the can and a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the lock-casingl and showing the arrangement of the locking mechanism. Fig. 4t shows de tail perspective views of the locking-spring, the locking-bolt, and the key. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view oi the lock-casing.

In the drawings, where like parts appear in the diiierent illustrations they are denoted by similar reference-notations, and reference being made thereto, A denotes the upper portion or breast of a milk can, provided with the usual vertical neck-flange 1, strengthened by a bead 2 around its upper end. At any selected point where the lock is placed the neck-flange is provided with a horizontallydisposed slot 3, into which the locking portion of the slidable locking-bolt extends when it is moved into locked position, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. This slot 3 is made of such length that the locking iiange or part of the bolt will readily engage in the locking-groove of the cover, and thus hold the cover and-the can locked together.

B designates the cover or lid of the can, having an annular beaded flange f1 and provided with a depending flange 5, reaching well down within the neck-flange of the can and fitting snugly therein, thus making the removal of the cover by vertical movement only. In one side of the depending ilange of the cover is formed alocking-groove 6, made of such length as may be required, according to the length of the engagement of the locking-bolt, being made shorter or longer as the can may be of less or greater diameter and capacity. I am aware that can-covers are made with an annular groove in the depending lflange; but such extended groove is not necessary in connection with my improvements, because the position of the handle of the cover will always indicate the location of the groove, which is placed at right angles to the direction of the handle, as seen in the drawings. The groove is disposed coincident with the slot in the neck of the can which opens therein.

C designates the casing of the lock, consisting ot' an oblong' metal box having its upper and lower walls or sides curved on their inner edges to fit against the :face of the neck of the can, as indicated at 7 in Fig. 5 o1. the drawings. The casing may be secured in position to the can by any suitable means, as by solder, or it may be made, as shown, with lugs or ears 8, through which rivets are projected. In the end walls of the casing are made slots 9, in which the locking-bolt is slidably disposed. The casing may be of such dimensions as will adapt it to the size oi the can to which it is to be secured.

10 designates the locking-bolt,which is disposed slidably in the slots 9 ol the casing and formed with a linger-piece 11 for convenience of manipulation and the shoulders oi which lodge against the end of the casing when the bolt is pushed into locked position. The other end of the bolt is provided with a stop-pin 12, or in the place of the stop-pin that end may also be formed with a finger-piece and the bolt moved from either end. The bolt is made wider at its locking portion, as at 13, so that when its locking edge is moved into locking position the edge will project through the slot 3 into the groove 6, and thus make the locking engagement between the parts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. From the inner termination of the locking edge 13 the bolt is gradually reduced in width by cutting it away inwardly in curved contour, as at 14, a suitable distance to escape contact with the cover, and from the base of this curved portion the bolt is extended with parallel edges, as shown. The locking-bolt is thickened for a distance, as at 15,Which thickened part terminates in shoulders, as shown, the inner shoulder being adapted to lodge against the inner face of the end wall of the casing, and thus prevent the bolt from further moving in that direction, and the other shoulder serving as a stop against which the free end of a spring 16 lodges when the bolt is moved into locking position. The spring 16 is fastened at one end to the inner face of the casing, as in dicated, and is made wide enough to extend laterally over the key-space in the casing, so that it is in the path of the web of the key and can be raised thereby free from its engagement with the seat or shoulder of the bolt, and then the bolt moved into unlocked position.

The front wall of the'casing is provided with a keyhole 17 and a key 18, fitted thereto, the web of which engages the spring and lifts it until it lodges against the upper wall of the casing and the web stands in verticality, the spring holding it in such position.

The improvements may be readily applied to cans in use and devoid of locks; but it is proposed to apply them to new cans and sell them in connection therewith. In either instance the slot is made in the neck-flange of the can. rlhen the spring' having been secured in the casing the bolt is then placed in the casing, and then the casing is secured to the neck of the can. The locking-groove may then be made in the cover-ange, and then the cover may be locked to the can, as heretofore specified. To unlock the cover from the can, the key is applied and turned to lift the spring from engagement with the bolt, when the latter can be drawn back free from the groove in the cover-flange, and the cover is then free to be withdrawn.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a milk-can provided with a horizontal slot in the neck thereof, and the cover for the can provided with a horizontal locking-groove alining with said slot, of a lock comprising a casing secured over the slot in the neck of the can, a slidable bolt in the casing having' a projecting part extending into the said slot when the bolt is in locked position, a spring to engage and hold the bolt locked, and detachable means to lift the spring and free the bolt.

2. The combination with a can provided with a horizontal slot in the neck thereof, and

Ythe cover for the can provided with a horizontal locking-groove alining' with said slot, of a lock comprising a casing secured over the slot in the neck of the can, a slidable bolt in the casing having a projecting part extending into the said slot when the bolt is in locked position, and means to maintain the bolt in locking position.

3. The combination with a can provided with a horizontal slot in the neck thereof, and the cover for the can provided with a horizontal locking-groove alining with said slot, of a lock comprising a casing secured over the slot in the neck of the can and Jformed' with slots in its end walls, a bolt slidably disposed in said end slots and formed with a locking edge portion to extend through the slot in the can-neck and into said lockinggroove when the bolt is locked, and made narrower at its inner end portion to escape the neck-slot when unlocked, and a shoulder on the bolt, a spring to engage the bolt and hold it locked, and means to engage the spring and lift it free from the bolt.

4. The combination with a can provided with a horizontal slotin the neck thereof, and the cover for the can provided with a horizontal locking-groove alining with said slot, of a lock comprising a casing secured over the slot in the neck of the can and formed with slots in its end walls, a bolt slidably disposed in said end slots and formed with a locking' edge portion to extend through the slot in the can-neck and into said lockinggroove when the bolt is locked, and made narrower at its inner end portion to escape the neck-slot when unlocked, and formed with a thickened portion shouldered at its ends to lodge against the inner face of an end wall of the casing and stop the bolt from moving further, a locking-spring secured in the casing and arranged to engage the outer shoulder ot' the thickened part of the bolt and extending laterally over the key-space in the casing, and a key to engage and lii't the spring Jfree from the bolt.

5. A lock to hold the cover to a can, comprising' an oblong casing formed with boltslots in its end walls and having its inner edges curved to the peripheral contour ot' the can,a bolt slidably disposed in said end slots and formed with a locking edge portion adapted to extend through a slot in a can, and a narrower inner portion to stand free from such slot and having a thickened portion shouldered at its ends to limit the movement of the bolt in one direction, a spring secured in the casing to engage the outer end shoulder of the said thickened portion and extending laterally over the key-space in the casing, and a key to lift the spring free from the bolt.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. VINE.

Vitnesses:

A. Gr. HEYLMUN, C. M. FoRREs'r. 

